Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said on July 28 that he has not been tested for COVID-19.
The former vice president made the revelation at a campaign event in Delaware in response to a reporter’s question about whether he would meet candidates for a running mate in person.
Biden did not provide specifics, but vowed to pick a running mate in the first week of August.
President Donald Trump is tested at least once a day. The president has criticized Biden for opting for virtual events amidst the outbreak of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the coronavirus.
Biden has recently held more in-person events. On Monday, he visited the Capitol, where the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) lied in state.
Biden, who is 77 and has said he has asthma, is vulnerable to adverse outcomes if he contracts the virus. People who meet Trump in person, including reporters at the White House, have to undergo testing.
The venue for the first U.S. presidential debate was changed on July 27 due to concerns over the CCP virus.
University of Notre Dame withdrew as the host site and Case Western University in Cleveland announced it will host the Sept. 29 event instead.
The debate will be held at Case Western’s Health Education Campus, which the school shares with the Cleveland Clinic, which is co-hosting the debate.
The partnership with the Cleveland clinic will make the COVID-19-related preparations easier according to Case Western. The Health Education Campus’s distance from the main campus also makes hosting the event more feasible.
The Biden campaign regularly criticized Trump for his administration’s handling of the response to the pandemic. Trump has denied any missteps and claims his early actions saved lives.
The health of the two candidates has been on the radar as a campaign issue. Biden’s verbal slip-ups and memory lapses have prompted ridicule from Trump, who alleges Biden would not be able to pass a cognition test.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton’s fainting episode during the 9/11 ceremony in New York prompted a media blitz. She reemerged briefly afterward appearing recovered.
The White House released the results of Trump’s physical exam in June, saying the president remained healthy. The report noted that the president took hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure for COVID-19 after some staffers tested positive for the virus.
